FUNDS The European Union is to earmark another 40 million Euros for the
Republic of Moldova’s army after the latest scandal caused by Russia’s efforts
to overthrow the pro-Western government in Chisinau. Most of the money will be
spent on a mobile long-range radar, which would enable the Republic of Moldova to
monitor its airspace. The rest of the money will be used to purchase light
vehicles, buses, trucks, communication equipment as well as anti-hacking
hardware and software. The money comes from the European Peace Fund, a common
deposit of 8 billion Euros, created by the EU members. The most part of the
aforementioned fund has been spent for Ukraine, a country invaded by the
Russian troops. Moldovan authorities decided to buy the radar, after Russia had
in the past months fired several missiles through the Moldovan air space to hit
targets in Ukraine.
PARTNERS On Wednesday in Sofia, Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis and his
Bulgarian counterpart, Rumen Radev signed the declaration on the Strategic
Partnership between the two neighboring countries. The document provides for stepping
up the political dialogue, fostering economic exchanges and cross-border
cooperation, improving connectivity and the infrastructures of the two
countries, promoting the projects on developing the Danube region, ensuring
energy security and promoting the green energy. The aforementioned partnership also
refers to cooperation in the field of European affairs, to strengthening cooperation
in the field of defence and security against the background of the
Russian-Ukrainian war so that the support for Kyiv may continue, to strengthening
NATO’s eastern flank and reestablishing a security climate in the Black Sea
area. President Iohannis said that Romania and Bulgaria would carry on their common
efforts to join Europe’s border-free area, Schengen, as both countries are completely
ready. In turn, Rumen Radev said that more efforts would be made for a more
rapid Schengen accession adding that in the past six months, both Romania and
Bulgaria had successfully fought the wave of illegal migrants significantly reducing
it.
BOOK
The Romanian Cultural Institute in New York has announced a campaign for launching
the English version of Mircea Cartarescu’s novel ‘Solenoid’ in the USA over
April 3 and 14. The book, translated by Sean Cotter, was published by Deep
Vellum last autumn. The tour will include five cities in North America: San
Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, Houston and New York. According to the same
sources, the book will be presented in famous places like City Lights
Bookstore, Seattle Public Library, UT Dallas, Inprint Publishing and McNally Jackson
Books Seaport.
TENNIS
The Romanian tennis player
Sorana Cirstea has qualified for the quarter finals of the WTA 1000 tournament
at Indian Wells, California, with 8.8 million dollars in prize money. She
defeated the world’s no. 5 Caroline Garcia 6-4, 4-6, 7-5. In the next round,
Sorana will take on the Polish Iga Swiatek, the world leader, who passed by the
British player of Romanian descent Emma Raducanu. The two players have met once
before, at the 2022 Australian Open, when Swiatek won.
(bill)